Paper cutting and folding machine.



F. P. HILDEBRANDT.

PAPER CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED PBB.19.`1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

u mj. gy MT5 Ame/VHS F. PA. HILDEBRANDT. PAPER CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHlNE.

Y APLICATION FILED FEBJQ, 1914.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR m- EN,

I 5 mom/frs WIN/8858 Lil F. P. HILDEBRANDT.

PAPER CUTTING AND FOLDING'MAGHINE.

APPLICATmN FILED rm3 .19.1914.

l 1 12,288. Patented sept. 29; 1914.

4 SHEETS- SHEET 3.

m A Imm/frs F. P. HILDEBRANDT.

PAPER CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION ILEDYBB.19,1914.

Patented' sp. .29, 1914.

` 4 SHBETSHBBT 4.

La l

Wl T11/E SSE S A TTHNEYS UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. HLDEBRANDT, OF SAUGERTES, NEW YORK.

PAPER CUTTING AND FOLDING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

To all whom t may concern Be 1t known that l', FPANK P. HILDE- BRANDn'a citizen of the United States, and

- ative sizes and proportions,

anism to be described a resident of Saugerties, in the county'of Ulster and State of New York, have nvented a new and Improved Paper Cutting and Folding Machine, of which the follow ing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to machines operating to cut and fold'paper, and has particular reference to machines of this type adapted to cut and fold automatically paper napkins or the like.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a power driven automatic machine which will receive paper froml a roll or rolls, slit the same into a plurality of strips, and then cut and fold the squares or sections of each strip to form, in rapid succession, folded napkins of any suitable form.V

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of parts of a preferred form of this invention, the supporting frame and other parts being in section; F ig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. l but with the paris in different positions; Fig. 3 is a i'ertical transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. Q; Fig. -1 view of one of the folding blocks partly broken away; Figo is a transverse view of said block on the broken line 5 5'of Fig. et; Figs. G and 7 show different forms of a napkin folded by this machine; Fig. S is a detail of part of the driving meehbelow; and Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the guide brackets for the reciprocating bar which carries certain of the foldingmembers.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relas well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent "it i. parting from the spirit of invention hereinafter more fully described and speciticallyv clained.

The machine shown herein by way of illustration of a preferred embodiment of this invention includes a plurality of series of folding blocks or forms, two of such se-K is a sideries being shown at S, S', and each series comprises, as illustrated, four of said blocks and associated parts, each of the blocks and the associated parts constituting a folding device indicated at s. All of the 'folding devices are or may be of the same character and are operated preferably simultaneously by any suitable power mechanism for continuous, rapid, automatic operation. ,Vhile I show but two series of folding devices and four devices in each series, it will be understood that these members may be varied indefinitely without departing from the essence of the invention.

Paper shown at P is directed from one or more rolls R toward the folding devices, the paper in one or more plies p passing through a slitting and trimming mechanism comprising a shaft l0 having rotary knives l'l secured thereto, said slitting devices being journaled in brackets l2 upon a frame extension 13, as shown in Fig. 3. The slitting mechanism forms the paper P into strips p of the width desired for full size napkins. Carrying out the description of vthe mechanism illustrated, the paper is presumed to be coming to the machine from four different rolls, and the width of the paper being great enough to make two strips 2). The strips 7,1', therefore, which result from the several rolls R are conducted to the folding plates lei pertaining to the folding devices of one series S, as shown especially in Fig. 3, one of the strips 2J being guided over each of the folding plates 14. The strips y) are directed to one series of folding devices from the and others are. directed to the folding devices of the other serie... As shown in Figs. i and 2, the strips may lead directly to the folding devices through pairs of crimping and feed rollersd, and the other strips leading to foldingr devices located remotely from the first series may be conveyed by a series of endless belts 1G, one for each folding device. At 17 I show an inclined guide which directs each individual strip y1 downwardly toward the folding block 1S, and at 19 J. show a rotary cutter roller having a blade Q0 adapted to cooperate with the shoulder 1T of the guide, said shoulder acting as one blade of a pair of shears over which the paper is eut inA napkin lengths by the blade 20 during the continuous rotation of the roller. the roller making one .rotation of each napkin.

folding plates v Each block lel is provided with a transverse slot 21 arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the block. The napkin is received upon the upper surface of the block in folded form; that is to say, the napkin is folded upon a longitudinal crease 22 by the action of the rollers l5, and coincidentally with .the shearing ofthe napkin from the strip at the shoulder 17, a tongue 23 engages the napkin at its middle portion, forming a crease y.24 by forcing the napkin in the form shown in Fig. 6 into the slot 2l, the edge 24 of the folded napkin coming substantially into engagement with a block 25, closing the lowerend of said slot, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The series of tongues 23 for each series of folding devices are carried by a bar 26 having brackets 27 extending downwardly from the ends of the bar,

thence laterally parallel to the bar and terminating in feet 28 adapted to slide along fixed guide rods 29 secured to the main frame ofthe machine in any suitable manner. Additional guide brackets 3() extend outwardly from the brackets 27 for coperation with the guides 29, and by virtue of the feet 28 and auxiliary'brackets 30, the tongues 23 are maintained for operation in the precise plane determined by'thetwo parallel guides 29, so that the points or lower ends of the tongues 23 will coperate reliably withvthe slots 21. The shanks 30 of the auxiliary brackets are preferably slots 33 in which the bracket Shanks 30" rounded for cooperation .with a pair of os-v cillating arms 31 pivoted at their lower ends at 32, the eoperation being through slide while the arms 31 are being oscillated. Any suitable means may be employed to oscillate the arms 31 for the purpose of causing reciprocation of the bar .26 in the plane of the guides 29. For th'ispur ose I employ an actuator bar 34 guided or reciprocations forwardly and rearwardly in a horizontal laneA on each side` of the machine, each of) the actuators 34 being Aguided by any su-itable number of antifrietion rollers 35 connected with the main frame. The

actuatorbars may be operated by an eccen tric 36 connected to or driven from a power shaft 37 and having an eccentric strap 38 and a connecting rod 39 leading to a point 40 on the front end of each of the bars or actuators. The connection between the actuators and the arms may be made through pin and slot connections, as shown at 41. The of ration of each' bar 26 and the tongues carried thereby will be so timed as to provide one complete reciprocation' and return for each single rotation of the cutter roller 19. As shown in Fig. 2, the tongues 23, when out of coperation with the slots 2l, arc adapted to be withdrawn far enough while continuing in constant uniform speed to allow the napkins next to. be folded to `engaged by the lower come into points or them into the slots.

Whennapkins are desired to be folded square, as shown in Fig. 6, the blocks 25 aref vtion between the points of the tongues and the napkins at the upper ends of the slots 21.

For the purpose of V triangular form, as shown in Fig. 7, the square forms are folded on a diagonal line 43 by means of a blade 44 operating through a diagonal slotl 45 in The slots 2l and 45 intersect each other at the middle of the block and the blade '44 for each of the folding devices is reciprocated at right angles to and in alternation with the tongue 23, whereby there will be no interference between these two elements. T he adaptation ofthe machine illustrated is for the folding as shown yin Fig. 7, yand hence the blocks 25 are `employed and reach within the slots 21 at-a point adjacent the .lower end or edge of the slots 45. A napkin being forced into a slot 21 in the form folding the napkins in' each of the blocks'18..

place to be sheared olf before the Y i lower edges of the tongues force and deposited upon aA shown in Fig.l 6 will be left in that position r by the tongue 23 and subsequently will be end of the blade 44, the blade being long enough 'to force the' triangularly formed napkin entirely through the lower end of the block 18, as shown in roo Fig. 2. The several blades 44 of-each series of folding devices are operated simultaneously from a cross bar 46 having slidablev engagement in slots47 of arms 48 arranged on opposite sides of the machine and pivoted atzpoint's49, near the bottom of the main frame. ,These arms 48 are oscillated by the actuator bars 34 through pin and slot connections at 50. As shown in Figs. 1 -and l 2, the oscillating arms 31 and 48 for each series of folding devices are operated simultaneously in the same their upper ends are so related to their pivots that each of 'said arms converges toward the other. 1n other words, each ofthe arms, at its uppermost limit of movement, is substantially vertical while the other arm is inclined toward it. When the napkins are to be delivered 'folded square, as shown in Fig. 6, the diagonally arranged blades 44 will be general direction, but,

disconnected in any convenient manner and l not used. The cross bars 46, carrying the blade`s44, are guided alongguide rods 46 at opposite sides of the main frame.

The main portion of the machine, having reference to the folding tongues and blades and rotary cutters, will be operated from inv a drive shaft l having sprocket gearing connections 52 with one of the rotary cutters 19. Any other cutters relating to adjacent series of folding devices may be connected by sprocket gearing on the opposite side of the machine whereby the several series Will be operated in unison from the same source of power. The crimping and gripping rollers may be operated by means of sprocket chains 5a operated from any other suitable running part of the machine as, for instance, by the roller. 19 driven from the chain 52. |The chain 54 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as driving positively one roller of each pair of lovvermost gripp-ing rollers. 1f the upper pairs of gripping rollers require to be positively driven, any suitable gear connection betiveen the loiver and upper rollers may be provided for this purpose. The small conveyor belt for directing the strips of paper p to the remote folding devices may' be driven positively, if necessary, by gearing such, for instance, as shown in Fig. l at 55.

AHaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

l. ilhe herein described paper cutting and -folding machinecomprising, in combination,

a plurality of independent folding devices,

`means to deliver paper in strips to said folding devices, each strip' being folded along its longitudinal center, each folding device comprising a folding block and a pair of folding members operated at right angles to each other in succession and cooperating With the folding block so ras to fold the paper in .succession on different lines, and means to operate all of the folding devices simultaneously.

The herein described folding I device comprising a block having a transverse slot substantially intermediate its length and perpendicular to its axis and another slot e\tcnding longitudinally therethrough and intersecting the first mentioned slot on a .liagenal line, a removable stop block normally closing rone ,end of the transverse slot, a pair of folding members acting in succession in said slots to form successive folds in a napkin, said folding members operating at right angles to each other, a pair of pivoted arms connected to the fold ing mmubers to operate them positively toward and from the block, and a ref.:iproeat ing member serving to actuate the arms simultanroirsly,

3. The herein described folding device for paper napkins comprising-a block havingl a trans-.risc slot and alrmgitmlinal slot intersecting the other substantially at the middle of the block, a stop block closing the lovver edge 'of the first mentioned slot, a pair of folding members cooperating in succession With the slots aforesaid. to successively fold a napkin, means to deliver paper in a strip tothe folding device, means to sever paper in napkin lengths from the strip, and means to operate the folding members and cutting' device simultaneously and at uniform rate Wherebythe napkins are ,folded and delivered from the folding device at regular intervals.

4. In a lpaper napkin folding machine, the combination of a series of folding devices, means to deliverk strips of paper to the several devices, eachl strip being folded along its longitudinal center, said delivering means including guides leading to the several folding devices, said Aguides having sharp shearing shoulders, a roller common to all of said folding devices, cutting members carried by said roller and adapted to coperate with said shoulders to sever napkin lengths from the several strips, one napkin for each rotation of the roller, a reciprocating member for each folding device adapted to engage a napkin thereon simultaneously with the severing thereof from the strip, a bar carrying all of said folding members, and means for operatingthe pa1 per delivering and paper cutting devices simultaneously with the reeiprocation of thc folding` member bar.

5. The herein described paper napkin folding machine comprising, in combination, a plurality of independent'folding devices, means to deliver paper in strips folded longitudinally to said folding devices, each folding device comprising a rectangular folding block having a transverse slot formed therethrough parallel to its ends, a flat rectangular tongue movable into and out of said slot, said block also having a longif tudinal slot extending from one end to the other and intersecting the transverse slot in a plane at right angles thereto, a flat rectangular blade movable into and out of the longitudinal slot, means to reciprocate said tongue and blade in alternation in directions at right angles to each other, means to sever a napkin length from each strip adjacent the folding block at cach reciprocation of said tongue, and means to operate all of the folding devices simultaneously and continuously,

in testimony whereof T have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK I. ITILDHBRANDT. lVitnesses:

Josnrir O. McCann, WILLIAM H. lifaoMuLnnN. 

